The invention relates generally to the mounting and use of bench tools, and more particularly to apparatus for and method of interchangeably mounting for immediate use any one of a pluarality of bench tools at a work station.
In a small work shop, space is always at a premium, and providing the necessary bench tools for immediate use in the restricted space is a common problem. Heretofore the solution has been to use portable power tools, each having a combination carrying case and tool mount, as taught by the prior art in U.S. patents to Davis et al U.S. Pat. No. 2,759,507; to Snyder U.S. Pat. No. 4,252,239; and to Unterfranz U.S. Pat. No. 2,786,500. By setting up each portable tool as needed, work space was saved but at the expense of increased storage space, proximity of tools to work station was sacrificed, required time for assembly and disassembly was prohibitive. In another solution U.S. patents to McCambridge et al U.S. Pat. No. 4,350,193 and to Nash et al U.S. Pat. No. 4,265,283 provide work tables for making portable tools into table mounted tools, McCambridge at one work station and Nash at three. In both cases the claims centered on providing means for mounting portable tools on the under surface of a work table top without having to turn the table over or get under it.
The present invention teaches apparatus comprising a mounting device having a single outer part that is permanently built into, or fixed to, a work bench and a plurality of inner parts similar to each other and each of which is fixed to a separate bench tool, the outer part being adapted to lockably engage with and disengage from each of the inner parts. The invention also teaches a method of mounting bench tools for use in a time range of 15 to 20 seconds.